Car coupler



061. 11, 1932. w. KELSO v 1,881,662

CAR COUPLER Filed 001. 23, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. KELSO CAR COUPLER Oct. 11, 1932.

Filed Oct. 23. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. KELSO CAR COUPLER Oct. 11, 1932.

Filed Oct. 23, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented on. 11, 1932 entree STATES PA ENT orricr.

WILLIAM KELSO, OE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCONVAY &

TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANTJA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

' CAR COUPLER Application filed October 23, 1929. Serial No. 401,855.

means for automatically rotating the knuckle to open position to put the coupler in readinose for a coupling operation and to provide means for supporting the lock in unlocked positionso as to permitthe knuckle to rotate outwardly when the car upon which the coupier is mounted is separated from an adjacent carto which it has been coupled. It is also desirable to provide means for preventing the coupler look from accidentally 1arrmg to unlockedposition when in service.

i The object of this invention is to provide a car coupler mechanism consisting of a few simple and sturdy parts in which efficient and reliable means are provided for locking the knuckle in coupled position, for preventing the lock from accidentally moving to unlocked position, for maintaining the lock in an unlocked position so as topermit a subsequent uncoupling rotation of the knuckle, and

for automatically rotating the knuckle to open position when the lock of the coupler is caused 1 to perform an extended unlocking movement,

the organized mechanism being well adapted for permitting the coupler lock to be actuated by an uncoupling device of the side operating lever style.

The principal feature of the invention consists in so constructing and organizing the parts of the car coupler that the lock for the knuckle'is readily adapted for actuation by a side operating bell-crank lever pivoted to the coupler head, the coupler head vbeing so formed and the knuckle openerlever being related thereto and to the lock in such mannor as to compel the lock to drop to locked position. whenever it sh ouldldo so, thus insurin'g perfect operation .of the lock 'notwith standing the provision on the coupler head of a lockset ledge to cooperate with thelock for" temporarily retaining the latter in an unlocked position permittmg the knuckle to per form an uncoupling rotation.

There are other features of invention residing in the particular construction of parts and in advantageous combinations of elements, all as will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings illsutrating a preferred form of the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a car coupler embodying the invention, the parts being in coupled relation and a portion of the upper wall of the coupler head being removed to disclose adjacent'parts of the lock, knuckle tail and knuckle opener lever.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the coupler, the knuckle being in plan and the parts being in the positions they assume after the knuckle has been thrown tofully opened position by the knuckle opener.

V Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the coupler, a portion of the outer end of the knuckle being broken away and the parts be ing in locked relation.

Figure l is a detailed sectional view through the guard arm and a portion of the lockin l pin chamber of the coupler head, showing the locking pin in lockset post-ion.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 4- but showing the locking pin in the higher position it assumes just before imparting to the knuckle opener lever a rotary movement to force the knuckle open.

Figure 6 is a vertical loz-igitudinal section of the coupler showing the parts in locked position, the knuckle, lock and knuckle opener being in elevation.

Figure '2 is a detail side elevation of thelocking pin, looking in the direction of the guard arm side of the coupler head.

1* igure 8 is a detail front elevational view of the locking pin.

Figure 9 is a detail plan view of the lockmg pm.

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line 1010, Figure 8.

Pivotally mounted upon the coupler head 1 by means of a knuckle pin a is a knuckle 3 which is normally prevented from executing an uncoupling rotation by means of the locking pin 4. The tail of the knuckle is preferably provided on its inner side with a hook which is designed to extend through an opening 6 in the side of the coupler head in the usual manner, thus providing means for preventing the knuckle from being pulled out of the head in the event the knuckle pin 9 upon the locking pin a to cause said locking pin to be raised to unlocked position so asto permit automatic locking of the coupler.

' These cooperating inclines 7 and 9 make it unnecessary to provide a knuckle tail of such width at its inner end cross-wise of the coupler as will prevent the locking pin from dropping when the knuckle is in open or in nearly open position, for these inclines provide means for elevating the locking pin to permit the knuckle to pass thereunder and I returnto coupled position.

The knuckle opener 10 which is actuated by the lock to force the knuckle to open position is in the form of a hell-crank lever and is arranged sothat itswings in a plane forming an oblique angle with the longitudinal axis of t'he coupler. l-ts long downwardly extending arm' 11 normally bears against the rear of the knuckle tail when the knuckle is closed, while its short arm 12 stands 'verti-= cally over and in spaced relation .to a forwardly projecting lug 13 with which the'loc'king pin is provided toward. its upper end. The bell-crank knuckle opener has a horizontally extending cylindrical stud or shaft llcast integrally therewith which'is journalled in a suitably apertured bearing 15 of the coupler head. The knuckle opener may advantageously. be retained in place in the assembled coupler by providing the interior aface 17 which extends parallel with the of the coupler head with a forwardly projecting horizontal wall or flange 16 having path of swing'of the lower or long arm 11 ofthe knuckle opener lever. The side 18 of the wall or flange '16. which faces toward the "guard arm side of the coupler is formed 7 parallel with the adjacent side of. the body of the locking pin 4:. .As theflange .16 is pogravity." It "is formed at its upper end with sitioned vertically so as to overlap thelocking pm when the latter is in locked position it serves to guide thelocking pin as well as to retain the knuckle opener in place. The lock-;

ing pin l for retainingthe knuckle in closed position is of the sliding type which moves to locked position under the influence of a block or body 'portion19 to'which is integrally united a depending leg 20 extending downwardlythrough an opening 21' in the 7 lower Wall of the coupler head. The opening 21 is of sufficient length transversely of the coupler to permit the lower end of the lock-leg 20 to swing laterally toward the versely of the coupler ismade slightly less than the amount ofback-lash in the knuckle and as all coupler knuckles are requi-red to have-this necessary backlash no special fitand the under surface 25 of the portion 23 of the coupler head is correspondingly bevelled. These two bevelledfaces thus serve to shift the lower end'of'the lock-leg 20 toward the knuckle side of the coupler head at the'beginning ofthe upward or unlocking movement of the locking, pin. As it is the chafing of the knuckle against'the side of the locking pinfbody while the carsa're being pulled over uneven places in the tracks that is the cause of upward creeping of locking pins toward unlocked positiong it will beperceive'd thatthe lock-t'o-the lock means herein provided for preventing accidental release of the lock will always lee-effective whenever there is the least pull on the coupler.

' The under surface26 of the bodyportion of the locking pin 4: overhangs the lock-down lug 22 and isbevelled so as toslope downwardly toward the guard arm side of. the coupler head. VVhenthe lock is in its lowest position this inclined surface 26 rests upon the corresponding inclined; surface or seat 27 forming the upper surface of the portion 2-3 of the head which "cooperates with the lock-down lug 22. The cooperation of the inclined faces-26and 27 tends to cause the lock when it drops, to move laterally toward the guard arm side'of the head so as 'tobring the lock-down lug 22 beneath the portion 23 of the head with which it cooperates. It will also be appreciated that as the gravity axis of the locking pin a is spaced away from the lock supporting seat 27 toward the knuckle side of the head, the lower end of the lock leg 20 will swing toward the guard arm side of-the head whenthe lock is supported 7 on said seat Q'T thereby shifting locl down lug 22 beneath the po1' tion 23 of the head;

Theinclined under surface or shoulder 26 of the-bodyportion 19 of the locking pin is also adapted toibe seated upon a'correat. .p niit the locking pin body 19 to move into i. above the incl 31 of the locking pin has passed tion tobeing at a higher elevation than the v seat 27 on which the lock rests when in closed position, the lockset seat or ledge 28 is spaced or offset laterally toward the guard arm side of the coupler head so as to be out of the path of movement of the body portion 19 of O the locking pm when the latter,after having performed an extended unlocking movement, moves downwardly to locked position, As will be readily understood, when the lock operating bell-crank lever 29 which is pivoted on the knuckle side of the coupler head raises the loeking'pin 4 the body portion 19 of the latter will swing or move laterally toward the guard arm side of the head as scenes the surface or shoulder 26 of the body is elevated to or slightly above the height ofthe'lr clzsetledge 28 011 the interior of the coupler head, such lateral swinging of the body portion 19 being due to the influence of gravity since the gravity axis of the locking pin passes between the guard arm side of the head the point of contact of the bellcrank lifting l ver 29 witlrthe locking pin 4. Above the lockset ledge 28 the coupler is formed with an inclined or bevelled face v3O designed. to cooperate with a correspondingly' bevelled face 31 at the upper end of the locking pin l adjacent the guard arm side oft-he couplen As'will be apparent from inspection of Figures 4 and of the'draw I ings, these two bevelled surfaces, 30 and 31,

constitute for shifting the upper end. or body portion 19 of the locking pin toward the knuckle side of the coupler when the locking pin is elevated above tlieposition it occupies when supported on the lockset ledge 28.. [is is well shown in Figure 4, clearance is'allowed between the bevelled surface 30 on the coupler head and the bevelled face 31 the upper end of the locking pin body to lockset position when the locking pin 4 is raised the required distance for this operation. It will also be not d that the surface 32 of the locking pin chamber immediately led shoulder 30 of the coupler head is not -41 vertical alinement with the lockset ledge 28 of the head but is offset or spaced with respect to the latter transversely of the coupler toward the knuckle. As the upper end of the body portion 19 of the locking pin overlapsthis surface 32 of the locking pin chamber when-the inclined face out of contact-with the coophrating bevelled face 30 of the coupler head in the operation of unseating the locking pin 4 from the supporting lockset ledge 28, the surface 32 provides means for preventing the shoulder 26 of the locking pin from catching on the lockset ledge 28 when the locking pin drops to locked position in the normal operation of the coupler.

In addition to the inclined surface 9 for cooperating with the tail of the knuckle dur ing closing movement of the latter, the under surface of the body portion 19 of the locking pin is provided with. a short bevelled face 33 which slopes upward and toward the knuclne side of the coupler from the inclined .urface 9. When the locking pin 4 is in lockset position (see Figure l) the lower portion of the locking pin body where the inclined surfaces 9 and 33 meet stands somewhat below the upper surface of the tail of the knuckle 8. It thus results that when the knuckle rotates outwardly toward open position while the locking pin a is supported on the lockset ledge 28, the tail of the knuckle comes in contact with the beve led face 33 and automatically raises the lock'ng A in until the lowest part of its body portion 19 can ride upon the top surface of the tail of the knuckle. This upward movement of the locking pin raises it from its lockset seat 28. As the knuckle continues its rotation to an open position the locking pin slides down the inclined surface 7 on the tail of the knuckle, drawing the shoulder 26 out of alinement with the l clrset seat 28 allowing the locking pin t to drop to its lowest position and rest on its seat 27 of the coupler head when the, knuckle has opened fully or substantially so. Upon a subsequent inward rotation or coupling movement of the knuckle 3 the inclined surface 7 on the tail of the latter contacts with the bevelled face 9 of the body 19 of the looking pin and not only raises said pin but draws or moves it toward the knuckle so as to permit it to clear thelockset seat 28 and drop freely to locked position when the knuckle is fully closed. It may be here mentioned that if while the knuckle 3 is in open position the locking pin l should be raised and seated in lockset position upon the ledge 28 of the coupler head a coupling operation can be successfully made, for the tail of the knuckle on its inward rotation will contact with the bevelled surface 9 of the locking pin body and will elevate the locking pin and move it out of alinement with the lockset ledge 28 in the manner heretofore described, thus permitting the locking pin to. drop to locked position in front of the knuckle tail. It is evident, therefore, that the coupling operation can be performed with this couplerwhether the locking pin l is in closed position or is in lockset position, all that is required being that the knuckle shall be open.

Projecting forwardly from the front face of the body portion 19 of the locking pin is a luglflwhich comes into contact wtih theshort arm 12 of the knuckle opener when the lockinggpin 4 performs an extended unlocking movement. Theipressure of the lug 13 upon the free end of the short arm of the knuckle opener lever induces the rotation of the knuckle opener and thereby causes its long arm llto press upon the rear side of the A knuckle'tail to force the knuckle open. WVhen v the bell-crank knuckle opener lever is in normal'posi-tion while the knckle is closed, its

long downwardly extending arm 11 rests against the tail of'the knuckle, as heretofore described. This position of the knuckle opener placesthe underside of its short'arm 12 approximately :atits lowest possible location and leaves a considerable space between the upper surface of the lug 13 upon the lock and the under surface ofthe short arm of the knuckle opener lever when the locking pin is inlockset position as ilustrated in Figure 4. This space or clearance between the lug I 13 and the short arm of the knuckle opener lever limits the extent to which the locking pin 4 may'moveor be jumped upwardly durg ing' a closing rotation of the knuckle 3 because when the locking pin, as shown in Fig ure 5, has been forced over towardthe knuckle side of the coupler by the bevelled surface 7 30 of the head and has come into overlapped relation with the vertical wall '32 of the looking pin chamber, the'upper surface of the lug 13 comes into contact with the undersurface of the short arm 12'of the knuckle opener, further upwardmovementof the locking pm 4 'thereb'y'being arrested; This is a verydesirablefeature of construction, especially in "conjunction with the positioning of the vertical surface 32 of'the locking pin chamber in laterally spaced "overhanging relation to the lockset seat 28"of the coupler head, for by limiting the extent of upward movement of the lock during awcoupling operation the interval required for thelocking pin to drop in front of the of the knuckle after the latter has reachedclosed position is reduced,

and .by arresting lateral movement, of the locking pin when its body 19 is forced toward the guard arm side of the head as a result of the lug 13 coming in contact with the short arm 12 0f the knuckle opener all possibility of the locking'pin catching upon the lockset ledge 28 insteadofdropping the-full distance i to locked position is removed.

It will be noted that whilethe locking pin is'provided. with a depending le permitting it tobe actuated from beneath the coupler is of relatively small height. the vertical height of the coupler to be kept head, the body portion 19 of the lockingpin This allows within the ordinary, requirements and'at the a same time permits the top of the locking pin chamber to be closed by the top wall of the .,coupler"head. This advantageous shortening of'the body portion of the locking pin memos and the closure of the'upper end of the locking pin chamber is enabled to be accomplished in a coupler in which the lock is automatically elevated by means of the tail of 1 the knuckle by employing a type oflock-tothe-lock'means, such as the lug 22, which is effective only when the knuckle is in its closed pulling position. 1 p i For receiving the side operating bellcrank lever 29 the lower end of the dependpull'rod or the'like (not shown) extending to the side of thecar, while the lower end of the lever 29 is flattened and formed at its extremity with a head or enlargement 39 which, when in assembled relation to the locking pin 4, cannot pass through the slot 34 in the lower end of said pin. "To limit movement of the locking pin leg toward the knuckle side of'the coupler with respect to the bell-crank lifting lever 29 the latter is provided on its forward face with 'a projec-s tion 40 which overlaps and is somewhat spaced from the adjacent side of the depending, leg 2070f the locl c j i In assembling the coupler the knuckle opener lO is grasped by the lower'end of its long arm and brought parallel to its working position so that the surface of its long arm is close to the top of thethroat or opening in thefront of the coupler. In this position the body of the long arm of the bell-crank knuckle opener will clear the top edge of the interior wall 16 of the coupler head and the stud ,or shaft 14 of the knuckle opener may be inserted into the opening or bearing there- 331? for with which the coupler head is provided. The long arm 11 of the knuckle opener may then be rotated toward the knuckle side of the head past the angular face 17 of the wall 16. "The knuckle '3 and locking pin 4 can then be assembled withthe coupler he'adin tne order found most convenient which is an advantage unusual with side released couplers as it is generally necessary to remove the knuckle from the coupler before it is possible to remove or replace the locking pin:

In the present construction the knuckle has a shortlateral length of tail and it will'be appreciated that when the knuckle'is in full or approximately full openposition the tail of the knuckle is forward of the opening in the bottomwall of the coupler head through which the locking pin 4. is introduced and that, therefore, the locking pin body can pass through said opening without interference 1 knuckle pin 2.

in assembling the bell-crank lock-lifting lever 29 with the locking pin the liter 1s .1 p i ag n 1 1 d er ma roi aontaposrfionan 1 s owei en 18"}351SS6fl through the opening in the slot Ell-fat the lower end of the depending leg 20 of the lockin b pin. The lifting lever is then rotated to vertical position and pivotally connected to the lugs 31' of the coupler head by means of the pin 36. When the locking and lifter 29 have been thus a sembled i is impossible for the locking sin to become displaced to such an extent that the coupler will become inoperative, as the upper portion of thelocking pin body 19 is held in place by the guide wall 16 on the in terior of the coupler head and movement of the lockin pin leg 20 is limited by the lug 40 on the Iorward surface of the bell-crank lifting lever 29.

an advantageous feature of a coupler constructed in accordance with the invention is that without going between the cars the act of unseating the locking pin from a lockset position can be accomplished by the trainman by simply raising the locking pin by means of the bell-crank lifting lever 29 until the pin assumes the position. shown in Figc 5 and thereupon quickly releasing the pull upon the lever 29 so as to permit the lock to drop downwardly to locked position. In railway yard operations it is common I practice when distributing the cars to dilfercnt sec ions of the yard for the trainman to lockset the locking pin in the coupler at which the parting of tl e train is to be made. if, however, after this ocksetting operation has been accomplished it is discovered that it has been done for a coupler where no parting of the train is desired, it is often necessary to pull the cars apart and re-couple them, since mcansis seldom provided for restoring the locking pin to locked position and waere it is possibleto unseat the locking pin from a lockset position it has been heretofore necessary for the trainman to go in between the cars to effect the return of the locking pin to locked position.

Iclaiin: r v v 1. A car couplerhaving a head, a knuckle pivotally mounted upon the head, and a sliding locking pin for the knuckle movable to locked position under the influence of gravity, said knuckle and locking pin being provided with cooperating means whereby said pin is moved from locked position to an unlocked position during the closing movement of the knuckle, the coupler head being provided on its interior on the side away from the knuckle with a lockset seat for supporting the locking pin in unlocked position and being provided above and in spaced relation to said seat with a bevelled face which. projects laterally beyond said seat toward the knuckle side of the head and also having adjacent said bevelled face and extending upwardly therefrom an interior surface for cooperating with the locking pin to prevent its upper end from shifting into horizontal overlapping relation with said seat after said pin has been elevated to release it from said seat, and said locking pin being formed with a shoulder adapted to engage said lockset seat for supporting said pin in lockset position and being provided with an inclined face for cooperating with said bevelled face of the coupler head to cause the said shoulder to be shifted out of vertical alinement with said seat when the locking pin is elevated to release it from lockset position.

2. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle pivotally mounted upon the head, and a sliding lockin pin for the knuckle movable to locked position under the influence of gravity, the coupler headbeing provided on its interior on the side away from the knuckle with a lockset seat for supporting the locking pin in unlocked position and being provided above and in spaced relation to said seat with a bevelled face which. projects laterally beyond said seat toward the knuckle side of the head and also having adjacent said bevelled face and extending upwardly therefrom an interior surface for cooperating with the locking pin to prevent its upper end from shifting laterally into horizontal overlapping relation with said seat after said pin has been elevated to release it from said seat, and said locking pin being formed with a body portion and having a dependent leg extending downwardly from said body portion through the lower wall of the coupler head and being provided with a shoulder adapted to engage said lockset seat for supporting said pin in lockset position and being provided with an inclined face for cooperating with said bevelled face of the coupler head to cause said shoulder to be shifted out of vertical alinement with said seat when the locking pin is elevated from lockset position and being provided on the underside of its body portion with a plurality of inclined surfaces, one of which is adapted to be engaged by the knuckle on its uncoupling rotation to elevate the looking pin for effecting its release from lockset position and the other of said inclined sur faces being adapted to be engaged by the knuckle on a coupling rotation of the latter to raise said lock.

3. A car coupler having a head provided with a locking pin chamber closed at its upper end, a knuckle pivotally mounted upon the head, a vlocking pin for the'knuckle slidably mounted in said'chamberfand movable to'locked position under the influence of gravity, said knuckle and locking pin being provided with cooperating means whereby said pin is moved from locked position to an unlocked positionduring the closing movement of the knuckle,and means extending beneathsaid head for actuating the locking pin to causeit to assume unlocked position, the couplerhea'd being provided-on its interior on the side away from the knuckle with a lockset seat'for supporting the locking pin in unlocked position and bemg provided above a-nd'ln spaced relation to said seat with aibevelled face'which projects laterally be yond said seat toward the knuckle side of said head and also having adjacent saidbevelledface and extendlngupwardly there from aninterior surface for coo eratin with v i c the-lockingpm to prevent itsupper end from shifting into a horizontal overlapping relation'with said seat after said pin has-been elevated to release it from said seat, and said locking pin beingformed with a body portion and a de endent le inteo'rall' united to L ED U i said body portion and extending downwardly therefrom through the couplerhead, said body portionlbeing formed with a shoulder adapted to engage said lockset seat for supporting said pin in lockset position and being provided withan inclined face for cooperati'ng with said bevelled face of the coupler head to cause the said shoulder to be shifted ouit'ofvertical alinement with said seat when the locking pin is elevated from lockset position, and said dependent leg being provided on its side opposite the knuckle with a laterally projecting lug adapted to extend under a portion of the coupler head when'the'locking pin is in locked position to prevent said pin from accidentally moving to unlocked position. v r

4. A car coupler having a head, a knuckle pivotally mounted uponthe head, a sliding locking pin for the knuckle movable to locked position undertheinfiuence of gravity, and a V knuckle opener lever pivotally mounted on the-head and adapted to be actuated by the lock ng pin to effect an uncoupling rotation of the knuckle,- said knuckle and locking pin and extending upwardly therefrom an intee rior surface for cooperating-with the locking pin to-prevent1ts upper end from shifting into horizontal overlapping relation with pending leg extendingdownwardly from said body portion through the coupler head, said body portion being formed with a shoulder adapted to engage said locksctseat for supporting said pin in lockset position and being provided with an inclined face for cooperating with said bevelled face of the coue pler head to cause the said shoulder tobe shifted outofvertical alinement with sair seat when the locking pin is elevated from lockset position and being also provided with a lug for cooperating with one of the arms of said knuckle 'opener lever, said locking pin being adapted to stand in overlapping relation to said interior surface ofthe coupler head when said lug comes into engagement with the said arm ofthe knuckle opener lever when sai knuckle is in closed posit-ion.

5; Acar coupler having a head provided with a locking pin chamber closed at its upper end, a knuckle pivotally mounted upon the head, a locking pin for the knuckle slidably mounted in said chamber and movable to locked position under the influence of gravity, a'knuckle opener device pivotally mounted on the head and extending downwardly behind said knuckle, said knuckle and looking pin being provided with cooperating means whereby said pin is moved from locked position to an unlocked position during the closing movement of the knuckle, and a lever pivotally mounted on the side of the coupler head and extending under the latter so as to engage and actuate said locln'ng pin, said locking pin being adapted to engage and actuate said knuckle opener device and being formed with a leg and a relatively short body portion rigidlyunited to said leg andbeing provided on the side away from said knuckle with a shoulder for cooperating with said head to prevent accidental unlocking move ment of said locking pin, said lever being adapted to cooperate with said leg to cause the body portion of the locking pin to assume unlocked position, said locking pin and coupler head being provided with cooperating means for supporting said pin in lockset position, and said knuckle opener device being adapted tolimit the extent of unlocking movement of said locking pin induced by the closing movement of said knuckle.

In testimony whereofl ailix signature WILLIAM KELSO, 

